Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-07-07
the cruelty and hate, the starless black.

1
filed his eyes with tears. He saw that
what is called the Christians hope is
that among the countless billions
wrecked and lost, meagre few per-
haps may reach the eternal shore-a
hope that, like the desert rain, gives
neither leaf nor bud-a hope that gives
no joy, no peace, to any great loving
soul. 1t is the dust on which the serpent
feeds that coils in the heartless breasts.
Day by day the wrath and vengeance
faded from the skY-The Jewish God
grew vague and dim-the threats OF tort
ure and eternal pain grew vulgar and
absurd, and all the miracles seemed |
strangely out of place. They clad the
infinite in motley garb, and gave to
aureoled heads the cap and bells.
Touched by the pathos of all human |
life, knowing the shadows that fall on
every heart-the thorns in every path,
the signs, the sorrows and tears that
lie between mothers arms and deaths
embrace-this great aud gifted man
denounced, denied and damned with
all his heart the fanged and frightful
dogma that souls were made to feed the
eternal hunger-rsvenous as famine
of gods revenge.
Take out this fearful, fiendish, heart
less lie-compared with which all
other lies are true-and the great arch
of orthodox religion, crumbling. falls.
To the average man the Christian
hell and heaven are only words. He
has no scope of thought. He lives but
IN dim, impoverished now. To him
the passed is dead-the future still I'M
born, He occupies with downcast eyes
that narrow line of barren, shifting sand
that lies between the flowing seas. But
Genius knows all time. For him the
dead all live and breathe and act their
countless parts again. All human life
is in bis now, and every moment feels
the thrill of all to be.
No one can estimate the good accom-
plished by this marvellous, many-sided
man He helped to Stay the heart
devouring monster of the Christian
world. He tried to civilize the church,
to humanize the creeds, to soften pious
breasts of tone to take the fear from
mothers hearts, the chains of creed
from every brain to put the star of
hope in every sky and over every
grave.
Attacked on every side, maligned by
those who preached the law of love. he
wavered not, but fought whole-hearted
TO the end.
Obstruction is but virtues foil. From
thwarted light leaps color's fame-the
stream impeded has song.
He passed from harsh aud cruel
creeds to that serene philosophy that
has no place for pride or hate, that
threatens no revenge, that looks on sin
as stumblings of the blind and pities
those who fall, knowing that in the
souls of all there is sacred yearning
for the light. He ceased to think of
man as something thrust upon the
world-an exile from some other sphere.
He felt at last that men are part of
natures self -kindred of all life--the
gradual growth of countless years;
that all the sacred books were helps un-
til outgrown and all religions rough |
and devious paths that man has worn
with weary feet in sad and painful
search for truth and peace. To him
these paths were wrong, and yet all
gave promise of success. He knew
that all the streams, no matter how |
they wander,turn and curve amid the |
hills and rocks or linger in the lakes
and pools, must sometime reach the |
sea.
These views enlarged his soul and
made him patient with the world. and |
while the wintry SHOWS of age were
falling on his head, spring, with all her
wealth of bloom, was in his heart.
The memory of this ample man is
now part of natures wealth. He bat
tied for the rights of men. His heart was
with the slave. He stood against the
selfish greed ofmillions banded to protect
hepirate's trade. His voice was for the
right man freedoms friends were few.
He taught the church to think and
doubt. He did not fear to stand alone.
His brain tolk counsel OF his heart
To every foe he offered reconciliation
hand. He loved this land of ours, and
added to its glory through the world.
He was the greatest orator that stood
within the pulpit's narrow curve. He
loved the liberty of speech. There was
no trace of bigot in his blood. He was
brave generous man, and so, with re-
weren't hands, l place this tribute on
his tomb. ROBERT G.. INGERsoLL.
"Of all the utterances made by DIR.
McGlynn in his statement to the press